Atomizing apparatus



April 21, 1959 Filed April 19. 1957 R; REMANE ATOMIZING APPARATUS FiG.2 1.4

/Y ll W 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 21, 1959 R. REMANE 2,833,090

ATOMIZING APPARATUS Filed April 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiG.3 :a

United States Patent ATOIVIIZING APPARATUS Roger Reman, 'Courton-le-Bas, France, assignor to Reu Maurice Achille Joseph Pollet, Paris, France Application April 19, 1957, Serial No. 653,895 Claims priority, application France October 18, 1956 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-394) The present invention relates to an atomizing apparatus designed for aerosol products which are either dissolved or finely dispersed and suspended in a liquefied gas contained in a metal can or bottle provided at its upper part with an atomizing valve through which the expanded gas flows in the shape of a jet carrying along the product. When manufacturing such apparatus, a difficulty for obtaining a perfectly tight arrangement of the atomizing valve after having filled the bottle through the neck which is then to be closed by the valve.

Heretofore, the only satisfactory solution has consisted in providing the edge of the neck with an outwardly rolled flange and in fixing the valve upon a member in the shape of a cupel, the edge of which is also rolled in the shape of a flange identical with the flange of the neck and clamped upon this rolled edge of the neck of the bottle with the interposition of a tightening joint made of a material resisting the solvents contained in the liquid mixture with which the bottles are filled.

However, it appears that it is exceedingly diflicult to Work out such a joint, whether in the shape of a plastic coating molded inside the flange of the cupel or in the shape of a ring made of synthetic rubber, and the setting of the valve upon the container requires very special care to obtain perfect tightness.

In addition, the manufacture of the cupel with its rolled edge and the shaping of a flange rolled upon the edge of the neck runs into expenses which are far from negligible with respect to the manufacturing cost of the valve proper. It is possible to avoid this drawback by holding the apparatus in an inverted position and filling it from the bottom, the valve being mounted beforehand on the neck from the inside but, under these conditions, it becomes necessary to seal tightly the bottom of the bottle. The same occurs when filling from the top a bottle consisting of a cylinder provided with a bottom and which is to receive a cover on which a valve has previously been fixed.

The apparatus according to the invention allows the filling to be performed from the top and avoids the delicate and rather expensive operations described above. The apparatus is characterized in that the neck of the bottle includes an annular bulge extending inwardly upon which the body of the valve is fixed by suitable means after filling the bottle. This annular bulge can be constituted, in the case of a metal bottle, by rolling a groove at the base of the neck.

According to a first embodiment, the body of the valve is fixed tightly in the neck of the bottle by means of a ferrule applied with the interposition of a skirt-joint upon the upper face of the valve body, the lower edge of said ferrule being clamped upon the upper side of the groove in the neck.

This embodiment can also be applied to glass flasks: in this case the neck is provided with an inner annular bulge to support the valve body and with an outer shoulder under which is clamped the fixation ferrule.

According to a second embodiment, specially suitable ice for metal bottles, the valve is fixed in the neck by bending inwardly the upper edge of the cylindrical neck of the bottle, with the interposition of a joint between the edge of the neck and the upper face :of the valve body.

By way of example, these two embodiments of the the invention as applied to metal bottles are described hereafter and illustrated in Figures l and 2 of the annexed drawing.

Fig. 1 shows an axial section of the upper part of a metal bottle equipped with an apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 shows an axial section of the upper part of a metal bottle equipped with a modification of the invention; and

Figure 3 is an axial section of a glass flask equipped with an apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Figure 1 shows in axial section the upper part of metal bottle in which is fixed a valve 1 of a known type, shown in elevation and provided with a control button 2, a plunger tube 3 and a supporting disc 4 which is usually mounted, as above described, in a metallic cupel fixed upon the bottle, also as above described. According to the invention, the metal bottle 5 includes a cylindrical neck 6 on the outer base of which an annular groove 7 is formed, for instance by an expanding process. This anannular groove 7 forms, inside the neck, an annular bulge 8 upon which bears the disc 4 of the valve with the interposition of a skirt-joint 9. The tightening of the valve upon the seat 9 is carried out by means of a metallic ferrule 10, centrally bored for the passing of the control-button 2 and clamped under the upper side of the groove 7 in the neck.

It will be seen that in accordance with the invention, the conventional shaping of the edge of a cupel around the edge of the neck is replaced by a simple expanding pnocess and the fixation cupel is replaced by a pressed or dished ferrule which is easy to clamp.

In accordance with the invention, the mounting of the valve can be made even simpler if, instead of using the ferrule 10, the upper edge of the neck 6 is turned down on the joint 9. For this purpose said neck 6 must be slightly higher.

This embodiment is illustrated in Figure 2 in combination with a valve, one of the members of which, made of a plastic material, forms the tightening joint, thereby bringing about an additional'saving since both the cupel and the joint are eliminated.

The valve used in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 consists essentially of a flexible and elastically distortable membrane 11, a rigid member 12 in the shape of a dish-shaped plate and a flap 13, the stem of which is designated 14.

The membrane has a thick central part 15, centrally bored in 16 and supporting in 17 the seat of the flap 13. It extends upwardly in a tubular part .18, the inner diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the flap 13. The annular edge of the membrane 11 is constituted by a thick ring 19, the inner face of which is provided with two annular ribs 20, 21, having slanting sides which come together to form a groove having a triangular section in which fits the edge 22 of the conical dish-shaped plate 12. This dish-shaped plate 12 bears in the center of its bottom 23 a piece 24 constituting a connecting member for the stem 14 of the flap 13 and provided with side ports 25, 25', through which the gas under pressure contained in the container 5 and forced in the plunger tube 3, enters in the chamber limited by the membrane 11 and the dish-shaped plate 12, to apply the seat 17 against the flap 13.

The membrane 11, the dish-shaped plate 12 and the piece 24 are made of a plastic material, the elasticity of the membrane resulting from the lack of thickness of the portion 26 connecting the. thick central part with the thick peripheral ring 19.

The ribs 20, 21, come together by means of their adjoining sides to form a groove having a triangular radial section, the rib being higher than the rib 2 As shown in Figure 1, the dish-like plate 12 bears, by its lower face, upon an annular shoulder 8 of the neck 6: this shoulder can have, as in Figure 1, the shape of an annular groove 7, obtained by an expanding process. The valve constituted by the elements 11, 12 and 13 is set upon its seat 8 by the turning down of the edge 28 of the neck 6 upon a Washer 27 previously placed upon the membrane 11.

The pressure exerted during the turning down of the edge of the neck makes it possible to obtain'the desired tightness, thanks to the crushing of the peripheral part of the thick ring 19. This crushing pushes back the ridge of the rib 20 between the neck 6 of the container and the rigid dish-like plate 12, bearing upon the seat 8. The side 29 of the rib 21'transmits the tightening stress upon the dish-like plate 12 which is firmly set, with a slight crushing, upon said seat 8.

The washer'27 which secures the: protection of the elastic membrane 11 is advantageously made from the waste material obtained when cutting out the top of the neck of the bottle in the case where such bottle is provided with a flanged neck closure. This is an additional saving of material.

Figure 3 shows the setting on a glass flask of a valve 11-1213 similar to the valve illustrated in Figure 2, the rigid disc 12 bearing upon an annular bulge 30 inside the neck 31, said neck having also an outer shoulder 32 under which is applied the lower edge of a tightening ferrule 10 similar to the ferrule used in the case of Figure 1.

What I claim is:

l.- In a metallic atomizing container for the projection of aerosol products, dissolved and suspended in a liquefied gas, an annular bulge inside the neck, a stop valve located in said neck and including a piece in the shape of a conical upwardly wide-mouthed cup, made of a rigid plastic, said cup having an aperture in its bottom, a tube extending inside the container fixed in said aperture, theedge of the lower face of said cup resting upon said inner annular bulge of the neck, a second piece constituted by a membrane made of a flexible plastic provided on its lower face, near its edge, with sharp edged circular ribs forming tightening joints and bearing on the edge of the rigid cup and the inner surface of the neck, said membrane having a central aperture forming a seat on its upper side, a valve member cooperating with this seat and provided with a, stern extending through the aperture in the seat and fixed by its lower end on the rigid cup, a piece in the shape of a hood fixed on the upper face of the membrane round the valve seat, provided with an atomizing port and means to clamp in a tightway the valve body against the inner bulge of the neck, said means including the inwardly bent upper edge of the neck of the metallic container against the annular edge of the upper face of said flexible membrane.

2. in a metallic atomizing container for the projection of aerosol products, dissolved and suspended in a liquetied gas, an annular bulge inside the neck, a stop valve located in said neck and including a piece in the shape of aconical upwardly wide-mouthed cup, made of a rigid plastic, said cup having an aperture in its bottom, a tube extending inside the container fixed in said aperture, the edge of the lower face of said cup resting upon said inner annular bulge of the neck, and having a sharp edged rib of triangular section on the circular edge of its upper face, a second piece constituted by a membrane made of a flexible plastic including a thick annular edge bearing on its lower face two concentric circular sharp edged ribs separated by a triangular groove in which is introduced the sharp edged rib of the cup, whilst the outer rib of the membrane is inserted between the edge of the cup and the inner wall of the neck of the container, the membrane comprising in addition a thick central part with a central aperture equipped, on the upper face of the membrane, with a seat, a valve cooperating with said seat and provided with a stem extending through this aperture and fixed by its lower end on the rigid cup, a piece in the shape of a hood fixed on the flexible membrane round the seat and provided with a side atomizing port, a metallic washer resting upon the annular edge of the membrane, and the upper edge of the neck of the container oeing inwardly bent against this washer to clamp the valve in a tight way against the annular bulge and the inner cylindrical surface of the neck.

3. A stop valve for atomizing containers designed for the projection of aerosol products dissolved and suspended in a liquefied gas including a piece in the shape of a conical, upwardly widening cup made of a rigid plastic, said cup having an aperture in its bottom and a tube extending inside the container fixed in said aperture,

said piece having on the circular edge of its upper face a sharp edged rib of triangular section, a second piece constituted by a membrane made of a flexible plastic including a thick annular flange having on its lower face two concentric circular sharp edged ribs separated by a triangular groove in which is introduced the sharp edged rib of the cup, the membrane including in addition a thick central part in which is bored an aperture equipped, on the upper face of the membrane, with a seat, a valve cooperating with this seat and provided with a stem extending through this aperture and fixed by its lower end on the rigid cup, a piece in the shape of a hood fixed on the flexible membrane round the seat and provided with a side atomozing port, and clamping means engaging the thick annular edge of the flexible membrane to press this membrane against the cup and to press the cup against the neck of the container.

4. in an atomizing container designed for the projection of aerosol products dissolved and suspended in a liquefied gas, a circular shoulder turned upwardly pro vided inside the neck of the container, a circular shoulder turned downwardly provided on the outer surface of said neck, a stop valve located in said neck and including a piece in the shape of a conical upwardly wide-mouthed cup, made of a rigid plastic, said cup having an aperture in its bottom, a tube extending inside the container fixed in said aperture, the edge of the lower face of said cup resting upon said inner annular shoulder of the neck, a second piece constituted by a membrane made of a flexible plastic provided on its lower face, near its edge, with sharp edged circular ribs forming tightening joints and bearing on the edge of the rigid cup and the inner surface of the neck, said membrane having a central aperture forming a seat on its upper side, a valve member cooperating with this seat and provided with a stem extending through the aperture in the seat and fixed by its lower end on the rigid cup, a piece in the shape of a hood fixed on the upper face of the membrane around the valve seat, provided with an atomizing port and means to clamp tightly the valve body against the inner shoulder of the neck, and said means including a ferrule applied upon the edge of the upper face of said membrane and engaging the outer shoulder of the neck of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

